Developer of Tablets Loses Apple as Customer — SAN FRANCISCO — Apple severed ties with a small Silicon Valley design firm that for nearly a decade had helped with the development of some of its products, after the firm showcased its own prototype tablet computer.

Brand New Details On the iPod touch 4G — According to a source who would have reason to know, the fourth-generation iPod touch is changing back shapes—sorry, readers who have been posting with love for the dome-like curved iPod touch 2G/3G back, but that's going away.

Fennec Alpha Released for Android and Nokia N900 — The Alpha release of the next major version of Fennec is now available for Android and Nokia N900 users to download and test. Fennec (codename for Firefox mobile) is the first mobile browser to offer add-ons and is built on the same technology that powers desktop Firefox.

Netflix soars as Blockbuster plans bankruptcy — Remember walking the aisles to find a movie? Those days appear to be ending. — As if fights for survival, video-rental chain Blockbuster is preparing to file bankruptcy next month, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.

Find out what's hot on search with the Google Beat — Every day, there are more than a billion searches for information on Google. Have you ever wondered what those searches are about—or whether what you're searching for also happens to be on the minds of millions of others across the country?

Charges Settled Over Fake Reviews on iTunes — SAN FRANCISCO — Savvy Internet users know that glowing online reviews of things like books or restaurants can't always be trusted. But federal regulators are giving notice that if you stand to gain financially from the review you are writing, you should be up front about it.

Don't Click this Button in Google Voice! — Warning: This tip is only for Gmail users outside US. — Google says that the latest Gmail feature that allows you to make phone calls is only available in the US, but that's not true. If you set Gmail's interface language to English (US) …

ViewSonic Android tablet: Pictures emerge — Earlier this week, we at Pocket-lint brought you the news that ViewSonic is planning a big (well, little in size but big in attitude) tablet launch at IFA. — And now we've been sent these pics from our inside man, showing off a ViewSonic tablet in all of its glossy glory.

Lenovo to release Ebox game console in China next year — In a surprise move it is being reported that PC manufacturer Lenovo has decided to develop a games console for the Chinese market. — The China Daily newspaper is reporting that 40 Lenovo staff have been allocated to the project …

Social From the Ground Up — At Facebook, we are huge believers in what a small dedicated team with a unique perspective can accomplish. We've already seen how a group of startups who built social interactions into the core of their product experience have completely changed how people play games online …

An Overdue Update — Since August is nearly over, it is time for an update and answers to some questions. We have been coding. We have Diaspora working, we like it, and it will be open-sourced on September 15th. — We are spending a good chunk of time concentrating on building clear, contextual sharing.